Government Publishes Martyn’s Law Statutory Guidance

The UK Government has now published the formal statutory guidance relating to, marking an important next step in the implementation of the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025.

The legislation, which received Royal Assent in April 2025, is designed to improve protective security and organisational preparedness across publicly accessible premises and events within the UK.

On 15 April 2026, the Home Office released the official statutory guidance intended to help organisations understand their responsibilities under the Act. Alongside this, the Security Industry Authority (SIA), which will act as the regulator for Martyn’s Law, launched consultation on additional Section 12 regulatory guidance relating to how the legislation will be enforced and administered.

The implementation period is expected to be at least 24 months before enforcement begins, allowing organisations time to understand requirements, review procedures and prepare appropriately.

For ISCVE members and the wider sound, communications and visual engineering community, the legislation has clear relevance to areas including:

Voice Alarm systems
Emergency communication
Speech intelligibility
Public address systems
Coordinated evacuation procedures
Public venue design
Security and AV integration
Compliance planning and preparedness

The subject was explored during ISCVEx 2026 in a seminar presented by Paul Davidson of Teams 9, which generated considerable discussion around the evolving responsibilities and practical implications for venues, public spaces and system designers.

As implementation guidance and consultation outcomes continue to develop, ISCVE will continue monitoring developments and exploring opportunities to support members through industry discussion, technical resources, webinars and future professional development activity.

At present, organisations are encouraged to review the official Government resources and remain aware that interpretation and implementation guidance may continue to evolve over the coming months.

Useful Government and Official Guidance Links